Featured Mompreneur - Meet Kristin

Name: Kristin Webster
Business Name: Live and Dream Green LLC
Where to find Live and Dream Green LLC:
Website: www.resnackit.com.com
& www.liveanddreamgreen.com
Twitter: @ReSnackIt

Tell us a little bit about your business.

I started Live and Dream Green LLC only a few short months ago. I created my product, ReSnackIt^tm. I dove right in. I went from idea, to prototype and then production in only a couple of months. I am a former middle school health teacher, before becoming a SAHM with my children, Olivia(6) and Andrew(4), so this whole “business” thing is completely new to me.

My children’s names are how I came up with my company name. Olivia, we call “Liv” and then if you take anddream…it is the beginning of my son’s name Andre..w. Most of my information and research came right from Google. I have never learned so much about textiles, coatings, films and plastics, or ever thought I would!
I grew tired of the plastic baggies waste. Plastic is suffocating our earth and I felt we could do our part to help stop this. There are approximately 20 million plastic baggies thrown out in US schools a week. I know I was going through box after box in packing sandwiches and snacks and I was growing tired of it.

There are cute reusable shopping bags, lunch bags and grocery bags, but nothing for sandwiches and snacks. Then was born ReSnackIt^tm. ReSnackIt^tm replaces the plastic baggie. NO more plastic! It is washable, reusable, made in the US and contains NO lead, phthalates, vinyl or BPA. There is a coating on the underside of the un-dyed nylon that keeps freshness in…no stale bread. ReSnackIt^tm can be wiped out, shaken out, washed out or thrown in the washing machine. ReSnackIttm is earth inspired, mom created and child and adult endorsed. We at Live and Dream Green LLC support conservation with style.

I work at home. My living room is my office. It is definitely challenging at times because I still have a preschooler at home. Learning how to “do business” is not only a challenge with in itself, but having the kids home for summer, makes it even that much more difficult!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am an energetic person that once an idea gets going I just run with it. I always seem to land on my feet when I take risks. I don’t give up easily and I am very resilient. Maybe this is one reason why I thoroughly enjoyed teaching middle school aged children. My husband has been super supportive and is ready to be in “go” mode when he returns from work. He will either take over dinner or play with the kids so I can get some hours in. I am lucky that he does not travel anymore with his job, so he is home every evening. When the kids were babies/toddlers, he traveled all the time. I don’t think I would have been able to come as far as I have so fast, if he still had that traveling schedule.

I taught for 11 years and I have been home for 6 years in counting. I was CEO of my household and now I am CEO of my company as well!

What advice would you offer any women with their own business or starting out as an entrepreneur?

Go for it! Don’t let the negative thoughts about how you may not succeed ruin your excitement or take away your determination. Just take some steps and go for it.

What is a typical “day in the life” of Kristin like?

I’m down in the kitchen around 7:30am (I know, not too shabby with a 4 and 6 year old!). Get the kids something to eat, and pour myself a nice cup of hot hazelnut coffee that my husband has made. As the kids play or watch a show, I get on the computer. Now that it is summer, they are in morning activity camps a few weeks out of the summer. This gives me a chance to work and get things done. When I pick up the kids we head home for lunch. After lunch it is “fun time!” We usually will go swimming and meet friends. We have 3 different places/clubs where we can go to swim and play…so it is really nice.

In your opinion, what is the best thing about Live and Dream Green LLC?

That I have created something that is practical, adorable and cuts down on waste all at the same time. ReSnackIt^tm is enjoyed both by children and adults.

What was the steepest learning curve in terms of developing your company or business model?

The steepest learning curve would have to be …..everything! Knowing nothing about textiles, running a business, using Quick Books Manufacturing and everything in between!

What has been your greatest success to date?

Getting wholesale orders within a few days of being “up and running”!

Have you experienced a low? If so, how did you dig yourself out and get back on track?

My low would have to be figuring out the books. It is still a low! This Quick Books is putting my husband and I through the ringer. My husband is in IT and even he is having problems with it. The books and numbers are like a thorn in our side that never stops hurting!

What has been your biggest obstacle and how did/do you get past it?

My biggest obstacle was not knowing what to say to manufacturers when I called them for information for services they provided. I did not know the correct terms and had to learn the market as a one-woman army. When they would ask “and what company are you with?”, my response was “…ummmm Live and Dream Green.” Then there was silence. After making many, many calls and filling a couple notebook worth of notes, I began to understand the manufacturing “world".

Is there anything in business you wish you could change or go back and do over again?

Get our “books” intact sooner. It is hard to estimate how quickly your product/company is going to take off. It is very important to have your system of choice in place when it comes time to do your books.